Judge sentences sex offender

Hilltown man gets minimum of more than 32 years in state prison.

Ignoring the defendant's claim of innocence, Judge Alan M. Rubenstein sentenced a Hilltown Township man convicted of molesting two girls to a minimum of more than 30 years in state prison.

In sentencing Guy Hash on Tuesday, Rubenstein called his crimes "despicable and repugnant" and suggested the 50-year-old defendant is incapable of being rehabilitated.

"The offense was so vile and evil that you must be punished accordingly," said the judge.

In August, a jury deliberated less than two hours before finding Hash, of the 800 block of E. Reliance Road, guilty of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and indecent assault. According to prosecutors, Hash repeatedly raped one girl from 1998 to 2001 when she was between 7 and 10. A second girl, who was 13 at the time of the incident in 2004, told police that Hash fondled her.

Hash was arrested after a teacher found a note written by one of the girls describing the assaults.

During the trial, Hash took the witness stand and denied that he molested the girls, claiming they made up the story. After his conviction, he was interviewed by Doylestown psychologist John Shanken-Kaye, who did an assessment of the defendant under Megan's Law to determine whether he is a sexually violent predator.

Shanken-Kaye testified that Hash again denied the accusations.

"Mr. Hash showed absolutely no remorse," said Shanken-Kaye. "He took no responsibility for his behavior. He basically said he would be vindicated on appeal."

Shanken-Kaye concluded that Hash is a pedophile. After hearing Shanken-Kaye's testimony, Rubenstein ruled that Hash is a sexually violent predator. If he is paroled from his prison term, Hash would be required to register his address with police for the rest of his life.

Hash worked as a roofer before his arrest last year. His attorney, Vincent Roggio of Norristown, said it was natural for Hash to show no remorse since he insists that he committed no crimes.

"He is an average Joe who is hard-working and supports his family," said Roggio. "Until this happened, we probably would have admired him to a great extent."

Rubenstein said he wanted to fashion a sentence to protect the community. He sentenced Hash to a term of 32 1/2 to 60 years in a state prison, which was even far more than Assistant District Attorney Anthony Cappuccio had requested. Cappuccio asked for a minimum sentence of 20 years.

"Mr. Hash, you are going to stay in prison for a long time," said the judge. "What you will find when you get there is that even the most violent criminals draw the line. You will be at the very bottom rung of offenders."

Cappuccio said the lengthy sentence is appropriate. "This is the only way to ensure the safety of the community," he said. "He is a predator and an extreme risk for recidivism."